Car-coupling



F. N. WARD.

i GAR GOUPLING.

No. 487,357. Patented Dec. 6,1892..

K II EL l I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE@ FLAVIOUS NEWPORT WARD, OF SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI;

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 487,357, dated December 6, 1892.

Application tiled September 8, 1892. Serial No. 445,306. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FLAvroUs NEWPORT WARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Greene and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain improvements in car-couplers; and the object of my invention is to provide a coupler which shall be of a simple, inexpensive, and durable construction and by the use of which it shall be unnecessary for the brakemen or train-hands to stand between the cars in elfecting the coupling, whereby the numerous fatalities resulting from the use of the ordinary couplers shall be avoided, the construction of my improved coupler being such as to render its use possible with any of the couplers now in general use with little, if any, material change.

My invention also contemplates certain details of improvement in the form of the drawi head to be used in connection with my improved coupling device, all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth.

The novel features of my invention will be i a beveled lower face gx, and said guideway In order that my invention may be the betl carefully defined in the claims.

ter understood, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings a coupler including the draw-bar provided with my improvements, in which drawings- Figure l is a perspective view showing` the coupler attached to the car; and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the draw-head of the coupler, -the shank of the draw-bar being seen in side elevation. Fig. 3 isa cross-section on line 3 3 in Fig. 2; and Fig. 4: is a perspective` one end d to the draw-bar and at its other end ZX is secured to a square F., set pivotally in an angular recess 9o in the beam X. This square E is provided with a stud eX, one at each side, which engage recesses in plates e, secured to the beam X at each side of the recess in, whereby when the draw-head is drawn out said head may have a certain amount 0f movement in a vertical direction about the pivot eX to accommodate itself to any irregularities in the track or the different heights of the cars on which the coupler is used. The shank O has a bolt c projecting from its inner end, which bolt passes through an opening in the square E and has a nut cX inside said square, whereby the draw-bar may be pushed into the line of the buffers and may also have a certain degree of rotation in the square E without bending or breaking the bolt c, the spring D returning it to its normal position after each such movement.

F is the head of the draw-bar, having the ordinary form, in the outer face of which is formed an openingf, having inclined or beveled lower and upper faces fx to receive and guide the coupling-link (not shown) into the recess as the cars come together in coupling. At the :rear of this recess f is formed a vertical guideway g, in which is mounted a Vertically-movable slide block or wedge G, having gis bent or turned upward at its rear end over the recess f, forming the recess 7i, as seen in Fig. 2, and said recess /i has a vertical branch t', arranged at its forward end, said branch e' extending up to the crown of the head F, as clearly seen in Fig. 2. Mounted in the recess h are two angle-levers H H, each having one arm hx pivoted to the respective opposite sides of the wedge G near the top thereof, said arms being held down normally by the weight of said wedge against the doors of the recess h in the position seen in Fig. 2. The other Lipper arms h of levers Il, which levers are of an L shape, are arranged at about right angles to the arms hX and project up into the recess t', standing normally about midway thereof. Mounted in a vertical recess j, extending through the lower part of the draw-head F' IOO has lateral wings I, projecting from its opposite sides and engaging the upper ends of the respective levers H when the parts are in their normal position, whereby the end of the pin J is held normally up out of the recessf.

The operation of my improved coupler, so far as described, is as follows: The pin J is lifted up as high as possible in its recess j, the cap-plate jx of the draw-head preventing its entire removal by engaging with its projecting wings I I, thus allowing the levers H by reason of the weight of the slide-block G to fall at their rear ends hx, bringing their upper arms h under the said wings I on pinv J, whereby said pin is held firmly in its raised position, as seen in Fig. 2. The other car is now advanced, the link in the coupling thereof (which coupling may be of any kind) being held out horizontally, to accomplish which it may be necessary if said link is not tight-litting to prop it to the right position to engage the recessfin any convenient manner. The link strikes on the inclined lower face j of the recess and glides up into said recess, striking at length upon the beveled lower face g of wedge G, which is forced up bythe impact of the block in the guideway g,lifting the lower arms hx of levers H and moving the upper arms h of said levers forward from under the wings I of pin J, allowing the latter to fall vertically in its recess j, its lower v end passing through the link in recessf and engaging said recessjin the lower part of the draw-head F.

cars, I have provided the device for accom?y piishing that purpose which l will now de-.

scribe, reference Flg. 1.

being had more especially to i with the J anney coupler, wherein a later- K is a metal rod passing entirely across the car and provided on its outer ends with two i cranks k k, bent thereon, as seen, said rod being secured to the car by means of straps Z Z, f

passing around the beam X, or in any suitable manner. At the central portion of the f rod K, directly over the draw-head F, is formed a projecting finger or arm L, which may beof any form, at the end of which is an opening through which passes one end of a chain m, A

the other end of which is secured to the end of the coupling-pin J. Thus it will be seen that when the rod K is turned on its aXis by means of the crank 7c at the end thereof at either side of the car the pin J will be disengaged from the link in recess f and the cars will be uncoupled.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a slight modification in the form of the finger L, which may be thought advantageous in some cases, and which will insure against the coupling device becoming inoperative through the breaking of chain m. This comprises an opening,

passed, being secured by means of a pin n, passing through it. The specific form of the parts is, however, not essential to my invention, and the finger L may indeed in some cases be formed integrally with pin J.

My coupling has, as will be understood, many advantages over those ordinarily used and is very inexpensive in its construction and simple in its operation. One very important feature wherein it is superior to others of ordinary construction is that the pin J when once raised in uncoupling the cars is held raised until the link in the other car again strikes the wedge G, whereby all liability of the pin being bent or broken by the impact is obviated. By its use the uncoupling of the cars may be effected while running at very high speed Without danger to the brakeman, and for this purpose it may be advantageous to have a chain or lever running from the end of the crank la to the top of the car, whereby the uncoupling may be effected from the top thereof.

The feature of the spring of the draw-head being secured at one end to the shank Gand at its other end to the square E, which is fixed to the car, and said shank having a bolt passing through the square E, which square is pivoted to the car, whereby a universal joint is formed, allowing of the twisting or turning of the draw-head in every direction within limits and without damage, is one of considerable importance, as will be readily understood.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting IOO myself to the precise construction and arrangement of the parts as herein shown, as it is evident that many alterations may be made thereinl without material departure from the principle of my invention. For instance, the coupler may be adapted for use ally-moving jaw is used in lieu of the coupling-link, and for this purpose it will only be necessary to form the recess f wide enough to receive such jaw and to form the recess j to receive the coupling-pin in the proper place in the head to drop in front of said jaw when the rear or eXtreme end of same touches the ybeveled face of wedge G.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. The combination, with a carhaving a recess at one end, of a pair of plates attached to the innerl sides of the recess and provided with longitudinal slots, a draw-bar having a shank adapted to enter the recess, a square adapted to fit loosely between the plates and provided with studs which enter the slots in the plates, a bolt passing loosely through the square and through the shank and secured with a nut, and a spring attached to the square at one end and'to the shank of the draw-bar at the other end, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the drawhead having a recess for the, reception of the link by the link the pin is dropped through the 1o same, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FLAVIOUS NEWPORT WARD.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. PATTERSON, WILLIAM H. WARD. 

